Hangover? What hangover?

By Ross Leahy | November 23, 2010.

There is a new way of going out in Dublin city. The Red Monkey Tea Party is a new nightclub that doesn’t serve alcohol! The club, which is the first of its kind in Ireland, offers punters a drink-free alternative to going out in Dublin.

The event was set up earlier this year by former internet entrepreneur, William Benner. Benner, 29, had grown tired of getting high and drunk at weekends, decided to set up the event to cater for those who do not want to drink on nights out.

The Red Monkey Tea Party is held in the Smithfield Complex has been held three times since its creation. Although it is not exactly a regular event, Benner said he would love to hold it on a more regular basis, saying “I’ll have to wait and build it [the event] up”.

Benner said that the event is for “people who are big into dancing and music” as well as people who are concerned about their health, although he admitted that the club attracted a lot of “new age hippies”.

For a €10 entrance fee, the sober punters can enjoy a number of activities and facilities that wouldn’t usually be offered in a night club. These include Indian head messages, which are offered at €10 a go, as well as a chill out bar that serves over a dozen different type of herbal tea. The club also serves pizzas and a variety of raw food.

Punters can also play different games, such as chess and scrabble and can relax on the various Buddha bags (extremely large beanie bags) littered around the floor of the club. Benner adds that he is hoping to include an art wall for the next event so that the clubbers can add their own creativity on the night.

Benner says that the tea party offers “the normal Joe-so something different to do on a Saturday night” and that the tea party give people a chance to actually talk on a night out. The event usually attracts around 200 clubbers with the regular crowd being in their mid to late 20s. Benner admits that he hasn’t gotten around to promoting to students enough but added that he would be happy to see more attending.

Although the Red Monkey Tea Party has proved popular, Benner admits that the night isn’t very profitable. This is due to the heavy costs of setting up and promoting the nights, aswell as 13 staff being employed by nightclub. Benner admits that he can’t really pay his staff much and that many people help him out on a voluntary basis. He hopes that the nightclubs’ popularity grows in the future so that he can improve this situation.

Benner, who is originally from Tralee, has been sober now for the last 6 months after attending rehab at the Rutland Centre. Benner had spent the last 11 years binging on drink and drugs at the weekends. He has also recently applied for an addiction dependency course.

The next Red Monkey Tea Party will be held at 8pm on 18December in the Smithfield Complex.